Independent Mental Health Advocacy is a service delivered by Victoria Legal Aid. It is not a legal service and is funded by the Victorian Department of Health.
We complement and enhance Victoria Legal Aid’s existing legal services for people with mental health issues.
Victoria Legal Aid and Independent Mental Health Advocacy work alongside each other to provide comprehensive and holistic support to people who are being detained because of their mental illness.
About Victoria Legal Aid
Victoria Legal Aid is an independent statutory authority which helps people with their legal problems. It receives funding from the Commonwealth and Victorian governments but operates independently from them.
Victoria Legal Aid helps people with legal problems including:
- family breakdown and child protection
- family violence
- criminal matters
- social security (including Centrelink)
- discrimination
- guardianship and administration
- immigration
- tenancy
- fines and debt.
You can get free information about many of these legal issues by:
- visiting Victoria Legal Aid's website and finding the topic you need legal information about. Each topic has information about the law and who you can contact for more help.
- ordering Victoria Legal Aid's free publications and resources
- visiting Victoria Legal's Aid's public law library to access legislation, case law, and other legal materials.
Find out how to contact Victoria Legal Aid.
Victoria Legal Aid’s role supporting people with mental health issues
Independent Mental Health Advocacy does not provide legal advice or representation. We will refer eligible people who require legal assistance to the Mental Health Legal Rights Service.
The Mental Health Legal Rights Service is a partnership between Mental Health Legal Centre, Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service and Victoria Legal Aid. It is staffed by lawyers to provide free legal advice and information about your mental health legal rights. They can also connect you to more free legal support, which may include legal representation at the Mental Health Tribunal.
An important focus of Victoria Legal Aid's work has been advocating for people with mental health related issues to be heard in the justice system.
Victoria Legal Aid’s significant expertise helping people with mental health related issues is used to advocate for law reforms to prevent, and more effectively resolve, legal problems that they experience.
More information
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